The Cybersecurity Council of the UAE Government has urged community members to be cautious of electronic begging and fraudulent donation campaigns online and on social media, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The Council stressed the importance of cybersecurity awareness concerning charitable activities such as aid, donations, alms, and zakat, aimed at safeguarding the funds of donors and ensuring their delivery to rightful recipients through safe and reliable means.
The Cybersecurity Council explained that to ensure donations reach their rightful recipients and to protect donor funds, individuals should "avoid responding to donation requests received through social media platforms, and only donate through the licensed and competent organizations authorized by the relevant authorities in the state." Additionally, donors are advised not to share credit or bank card numbers with any entity online unless the legitimacy and credibility of the request are verified.
The Council indicated that with the increasing risks of cyber attacks, particularly phishing attacks, enhancing cybersecurity awareness has become essential for all community members to protect themselves from potential electronic phishing threats and to understand how to avoid becoming victims.
The Council outlined five tips for avoiding phishing messages and recognizing phishing attacks, which can enhance the digital security of individuals and protect their personal information from theft and cybersecurity threats. These tips include: verifying official social media channels of the company or entity, being cautious of exaggerated offers such as unrealistic deals or prices, paying attention to brand elements as unclear logos or images may indicate fraud, ensuring that banks will not request personal and credit information via email or text messages, and confirming the identity of callers before answering calls, with a requirement in the UAE for companies to have caller ID.
The Cybersecurity Council noted that with rapid technological advancement and the widespread use of email in various aspects of daily life, concerns about fraudulent messages aimed at stealing sensitive data are increasing. Thus, it is crucial to recognize and understand these risks for personal protection against electronic fraud.
The Council reviewed a scenario involving phishing emails, estimating that 3.4 billion spam messages are sent daily worldwide, explaining that phishing messages may present scammers posing as a shipping company requesting an address update for package delivery marked "Update Now," requests to reactivate a social media account before deactivation marked "Reactivate Now," urgent requests to confirm bank account information to complete service marked "Enter Your Information," in addition to requests for personal information and bank card numbers marked "Send," all of which facilitate personal account breaches and falling victim to electronic fraud.
To identify phishing messages, the Cybersecurity Council specified several factors: carefully examining the email address of the sender, communicating directly with companies via reliable contact methods, being cautious of urgent messages, and avoiding clicking on suspicious links.
